The Beginning of the 21st Century is Less Violent

International news sources give the impression that we are presently living in a society that is particularly violent. However, the last decade (2001 - 2010) was the least violent since 1840 (with less than a million deaths due to conflicts) all the while seeing the world population increase six-fold.

In comparison, the first part of the 20th century was horrid: the period 1914-1947 was the deadliest time in the history of mankind with between 100 - 200 million deaths, or 5 to 10% of the population of Europe.

A ration party of the Royal Irish Rifles in a communication trench during the Battle of the Somme. The date is believed to be 1 July 1916, the first day on the Somme, and the unit is possibly the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (25th Brigade, 8th Division).